Have any of your customers tried to make a 25% sugar wine using this yeast?

Have any of your customers tried to make a 25% sugar wine using this yeast?

People have, but we do not currently know of any published recipes.

Can a hand-held blender be used for both the initial and subsequent aerations?

Can a hand-held blender be used for both the initial and subsequent aerations?

A hand-held blender would not get good aeration; an aquarium pump with an inline air filter is better.

In a 25L batch, what weight of yeast and nutrient should be used? Which nutrient(s)?

In a 25L batch, what weight of yeast and nutrient should be used? Which nutrient(s)?

For a 25L batch, 1-3 vials of yeast would be good. A nutrient that should be used is 1 tablet of Servomyces.

What would be the best temperature to control to, in order to minimize impurities?

What would be the best temperature to control to, in order to minimize impurities?

75°F would be the best temperature to control to, to limit impurities. This would take about 5-15 days to complete.

Reviews

Feedback and experiences from previous customers. Want to leave a review of your own?

"Beast! "

By: Nicolò Binda | Date: Jul 23, 2016 |

This yeast is a beast! Took my RIS from 1130 (fermented down to 1040 with wlp001) to 1006 and finished out my BDSA that was "stuck" at 1025 (from 1110) to 0,995!
Be careful that take loong time to eat the last few points!

"22% WLP099 all-grain beer"

Just my experience using WLP099 Super High Gravity ale yeast. I'm a relatively new home-brewer (less than 10 months), but using this yeast I managed to make a 22% all grain RIS (no sugar/syrup additions). Using a 8L yeast starter, 1 packet of WLP099, 7 stepped additions of wort, 5 lots of aeration using a cheap aquarium pump (atmospheric oxygen, not pure O2), dry beer [pilsner] enzyme and some simple yeast nutrient managed to go from 1.202 to 1.046 and around 74% apparent attenuation.

On big beers this yeast is a slow fermenter, chugging along for quite some time, so be patient as it will get there, just much slower than you expect. As regards taste, as I mainly pitched the yeast cake from my starter (8L out of 15L total starter) I decided to taste the hopped starter beer and it was positively delicious. 90% apparent attenuation (!!), 6.2% ABV, fruity but with little or no weird off flavours/phenolics (although phenols will increase in bigger brews). No sulphur or other homebrew tastes to mention of, despite being still cloudy with yeast (Doesn't flocculate terribly as well as many other strains). Although not my first choice for a low gravity beer, it still tasted great for any English style ale and is unsurpassed for attenuation!

My big beer needs maturing, but 2 months from when fermentation started it tastes like a liquorish, dark fruit liqueur, deceptively smooth with a warm alcohol burn. Surprisingly drinkable already, and no doubt will completely transform with aging. Any yeast flavour is probably masked by the malt as there's no denying the 18kg of malt that went into this beer! However, the yeast did it's job.

Be warned though you can't just toss this in and make anything over 10-11% without stepped additions and simple aeration as it doesn't favor high gravity environments.

Would I make a 20+% all grain beer again? Maybe, maybe note, but time tell (it's alot of work).

Would I use this yeast again? Most definitely. Would suit any super dry English style ale or Barley wine, and possibly even an experimental Belgian-style Trappist

"Used in a 24% Belgian specialty ale"

Brewed a 24% beer (total OG 1.170- FG 1.022) with a friend some time ago. We wanted to harness the flavorful esters from other yeasts, so we ended up pitched Saison yeast first to take it to 11%, then Trappist yeast taking it to 18% and giving it the bulk of the flavors we were after. Sugar was added during the fermentation at multiple points and was oxygenated constantly.

It was a trial to get this yeast up and running in an 18% solution. Pitching a vial the first time was unsuccessful. Next vial I made a starter utilising watered a down element of the 18% beer with added DME. When pitched this worked slowly to take it up to 24%. Delighted with it, did exactly what we wanted when given the right conditions. The end product is phenomenal. Figgy, almonds, sherry, dark fruit, cherries, raisins, dates and forest honey.

"Hard Work, but Great Results"

By: Kirk | Date: Jan 20, 2014 | Beer(s) Brewed: Barleywine

Great yeast! I've brewed 2 different barleywines and 1 wheat wine with it so far. The first did not completely ferment out for several months, but that was before I started reading about proper care of this yeast. It is certainly not for beginners.

For the second barleywine, I paid attention to the other reviews. I made a 2 step gallon starter starting a week in advance. The wort was around 1.08 and finished under 1.01 resulting with a 10% abv. I've been periodically adding candi syrup to raise the gravity, which is currently at 17% abv and climbing. The yeast finishes the gravity each time at around 1.0, with the most recent addition finishing at 0.994. Definitely a powerhouse as long as you slowly add fermentables and give the yeast time to eat.

On my most recent wheat wine, I used a vial that was a few months expired (brew shop sold it for half price) and got the same results as above just by making a good starter. I can not emphasize making a good starter enough.

Overall, this yeast will live up to the claims, just be gentle with it.

"This yeast is incredible!"

By: ron | Date: Dec 8, 2012 | Beer(s) Brewed: bass ale og 1.070

This yeast is incredible! It will finish anything off that is stuck! All I can say is wow!

"... had great results"

By: Joe | Date: Nov 20, 2012 | Beer(s) Brewed: Barley Wine

I brewed a barley wine with this yeast and had great results. It finished at 10%. My friend and family are begging me to brew it again.

"I'm happy that the gravity is lower ... "

By: Joseph | Date: Nov 20, 2012 | Beer(s) Brewed: English Barleywine

This yeast saved my big beer. I think the original yeast, English Dry, got lazy as I did have 10% of the sugars from honey. It stopped at 1.040 from 1.110 and was just too sweet. So, I made a half gallon starter with wlp099 and it is now at 1.027 and still showing some activity. I'm happy that the gravity is lower, but ecstatic that the wlp099 did not destroy that flavor I love from the English Dry

"Used on an Imperial IPA .. "

Used on an Imperial IPA, began with a 1 qt (1.040) starter 3 days before brewday. OG of 11 gal batch was 1.097 FG after 14 days was 1.015 @ 70

" ... be patient ... it will come around"

By: Allan Angus | Date: Nov 20, 2012 | Beer(s) Brewed: Barley Wine

I used this with a batch of Charlie Papazian's Colonel Coffin Barleywine, which started at an OG of over 1.1. I didn't make a starter, and didn't do anything unique for upping gravity in the batch. I just made the wort, pitched the yeast, and waited. My FG made 1.024 easily. After 3 months, I tried a bottle and it was horrible with hop bitterness and an astringent touch from the yeast. However, 13 months later, it was glorious. I served it at a Halloween party last year and it was one of the absolute favorites. I finished the last of the batch the following summer, and it had improved further. My comment is that this is one to wait for; be patient, it will come around. I'll definitely use this again for another batch of Colonel Coffin.

"... make a good starter ... "

By: Perk | Date: Nov 20, 2012 | Beer(s) Brewed: Barley Wine

I'm on my 3rd 20% barley wine, this yeast will go past 20%; it is a pain in the butt, make a good starter, brew a few times not all the vol. at once. Aerate really well, and use Servomyces nutrient!!! The flavor after 4 months is good but peaks around a year. I find a slight tartness but it isn't bad.

"Left it fermenting in my garage ... "

By: Paul | Date: Nov 20, 2012 | Beer(s) Brewed: Wee Heavy

Began with a 2 qt starter 22 hours in advance of pitching using two vials of the yeast. Added yeast nutrient to the wort and oxygenated four minutes with pure O2. OG 1.102. Very vigorous fermentation for almost two weeks. Left it fermenting in my garage under ambient temperature for four weeks total. Peak fermentation temperature 79 degrees F. FG 1.004.

"Left it fermenting in my garage ..."

Around 3 years ago I brewed a monster IIPA starting with 10% ABV worth of grain on US-05, then racked the beer into a 5 gallon starter size of WLP099. I began adding 1lbs of dextrose daily, checking the gravity for activity, until the yeast slowed down. It came out dang close to OG of 1.200! White labs claimed 25% and I wanted to see if it was possible, and what it would taste like! I would say af! ter 2 years of aging it was at its prime, and quite tasty! I just brewed another not-so-couragous 18% version of the same beer which fermented out perfectly (1.022OG and will probably drop more). I start on US-05 as to not prematurely stress out the ninja WLP099 yeast. I make a 5gal 1.040 starter using just two-row. Of course I keep that beer and it makes a real nice almost-belgian style pale ale (fruity esters). Yeast nutrient and periodical oxygen additions early in the WLP099 fermentation are key. I was not able to get it to quite 25% ABV, but 23% ain't no slouch and its not rocket fuel!!! Hey, worst case you reuse the yeast for some lawn mower brew ;)

"... temp. control may have contributed"

This in an interesting, but finicky yeast in my experience. I've used it five times now with mixed results. Fermenting a strong ale at 70F I've had 97% apparent attenuation (1.075-1.002), the last 10 gravity points being consumed at 58F during a spontaneous, post crash fermentation. At 70F I've also had a brown (1.052 O.G.) stall at 1.016. The barley wine (1.162 O.G.) also stalled at 1.040, despite heavy O2 and wort! addition by parts, but lack of experience and temp. control may have contributed. Flavor profile is very temperature dependent, ranging from neutral ~67F to strongly Belgian-esque >72F. Fruit/Phenolic character mellows with prolonged aging (4-6mo.), with more pronounced spice emerging. Unless high attenuation or alcohol tolerance are needed, I would suggest use of a more predictable strain.

"Began with a 2 qt starter 22 hours in advance"

By: Paul | Date: May 29, 2012 | Beer(s) Brewed: Wee Heavy

Began with a 2 qt starter 22 hours in advance of pitching using two vials of the yeast. Added yeast nutrient to the wort and oxygenated four minutes with pure O2. OG 1.102. Very vigorous fermentation for almost two weeks. Left it fermenting in my garage under ambient temperature for four weeks total. Peak fermentation temperature 79 degrees F. FG 1.004.